A Shrunken Life Rewrite
by MConanfan0327
Summary: Witnessing a murder on her way back home, Kazuha's life is turned upside down or rather it turned small. Now teamed up with Conan, she seeks to regain her old life back. This is a rewrite, discard the old story.
1. Prologue

Orange covered the sky with a sprinkle of red, the wind picked up slightly as the temperature dropped a few degrees. Kazuha glanced down at her watch and sighed, it was getting late and her mom warned her not to be late for dinner today. Her pace quickened at the thought of a scolding from her mother; she was unfortunately stuck in the long line at the author's signing of a recently released book. She hugged the book against her chest. Meeting the author was a dream come true, he proved to be as handsome and intellectual as rumored. She blushed lightly as she remembered some of the words she told the author, they were a bit embarrassing she'll admit but she'll doubt she would ever regret them.

Kazuha looked down the crowded street of people and cars, and without a second thought, she turned right into an alleyway. If she continued down that alley and cross through the park and enter the alley parallel to the park, she can get home that way. It would take a few minutes longer the route right through the busy intersection however she sometimes likes this route just to take in the scenery; with the setting sun, it shined a dim red light against the green of the park covering the area with a blanket of peace and beauty. And with the lack of people, it truly is breathtaking. She has been stuck in line too long and this scenery would just add to the dream of meeting one of her favorite authors.

A small smile settled on her lips.

She crossed through the park with amazement dazzling in her eyes. She entered the empty alleyway; this alleyway despite being near (but not directly next to) the park had always been emptied of people. She never knew why, the alleyway continued to prove time and time again to be a convenient route to multiple locations, maybe due to the lack of scenery. Oh well, it was a shame indeed. Kazuha continued to walk but halted to a dead stop at the hearing of a faint whimper. She heard another whimper but this time she heard a faint plea of "please stop." Kazuha quietly pressed herself against the wall, a practice she learned through her father and Heiji. Somebody is currently being threatened, but she must assess the situation before she can just jump in there-her father scolded her too many times to beware if a person is armed first or not. She inched closer to the corner where the pleas grew slightly louder. She peeked around the corner, three men clad in black stood there. Well, one man, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a small shaven beard with grey spots is on his knees bowing to the other two men, his face is contorted and paled, cold sweat dropped from the sides of his face.

The blood drained away from her face as she as saw the man with long silver-blond hair, a long black trench coat, and a black fedora pressed his foot against the kneeling man. In his left hand, he held a gun with a silencer attached, he pressed the cold metal to the skull of the kneeling man. No emotion clouded the man's face, save perhaps annoyance. The other man clad in black stood there with a sly grin on his face, his eyes covered by dark shades, his left hand held a black suitcase. The temperature seemed to drop colder and the earth stood still as the blond kicked the man pushing him down to the hard concrete floor, blood peaked from the ripped skin on his face. The blond stepped a couple of feet back with the gun still aimed at the man on the floor, tears were now streaming from the man's face on the ground as he pleaded for mercy.

Silence.

Then the man's head fell lifelessly on the ground as blood oozed into a pool around the head. "You missed your chance for mercy." The blond grunted, his tone void of any emotion as he lowered the gun placing the gun back into his coat after turning the safety on.

Kazuha involuntarily released a small 'eep' at the gruesome scene, she was not expecting to outright witness a murder. She whipped her head around the corner hoping the two men did not see her as they turned their heads toward her direction. Kazuha screamed in her head, scolding herself for being such an idiot for giving up her position. She needed to go, there was no doubt they were going to investigate this area after hearing a muffled human scream. She glanced at her surroundings, there are absolutely no hiding spots. She had to make a run for it, she cannot stand up against armed men. All she had to hope is that they do not shoot her as she runs away. She retreated along her route silently.

The world tumbled downward.

The book landed with a thud as Kazuha fell clutching her right leg. Tears forced their way out of her tear ducts as the pain flared in her legs. She glanced down. Her hands are covered in blood. She stared up in horror as the men walked up toward her, the blond holding the gun unimpressed.

_Heiji, please come and save me._

But she knew Heiji nor anyone else is going to save her. Heiji was currently hanging out with his family, his mother demanded some time to be spent together after feeling like they never spend time together as a family. And her parents were waiting for her arrival with little knowledge of her current situation. And this is practically a deserted alleyway, what are the chances someone would see her and try to save her? No one certainly did for that dead man back there.

The men approached her, and Kazuha tried inching back in a futile attempt to escape. However, the blond held the gun straight at her and Kazuha stopped. All her memories flooded into her mind as the blond crouched in front of her with his malicious green eyes boring down on her. _She is going to die_. The blond struck her with the butt of the gun, whatever strength she had left vanished into the dark sky as she collapsed down, her vision grew spotty. She faintly saw the blond pull out a small pill and heard him mutter something along with the words of 'might as well finish this.'

The blond administered the pill in her throat as she saw the other man pick up her signed book. Her eyes fell shut as her body shook violently, her whole body flared into pain. It was unbearable.

Her life then turned black.


	2. Chapter 1

Sorrow hanged in the air as Conan, Ran, and Kogorou stepped out of the sad little taxi into the entrance of a large traditional house. The leaves of the tree in the front rustled in the wind. They walked toward the doorway as Hattori exited the said doorway. Conan observed his Osakan friend, Hattori had large dark circles around his eyes, his hair is a mess, and his clothes were obviously thrown on without any consideration if they matched or not. Simply, Hattori looked exhausted. And Conan could understand why since Kazuha has been missing for over a week now with no clues of her disappearance or her current location. After a week had gone by and no Kazuha showed up, Hattori had called him asking for help, briefly explaining the situation. Kazuha had apparently gone to a book signing and never returned home that night and she never sent a message of going somewhere. She was just gone, and the police force has been searching for her; it also worried him since unlike him or Hattori, Kazuha was not a person to willingly, by herself, go searching for trouble that could potentially get her killed.

Hattori walked up to them with dead and sorrowful eyes. "H-hey guys. Um, thanks for coming down here." He greeted with a small wave of his dark hand.

Ran, her whole demeanor filled with sympathy, walked up to Hattori and grabbed his hands in comfort. "We'll find her Hattori-kun." Ran promised and Conan slightly lowered his eyes. Ran had developed a friendly relationship with Kauzha, this also must be hard for her too, especially since she knows the pains of a missing best friend.

Hattori presented a soft smile at that. "I genuinely hope so too." He softly said as he gently pulled away and headed back to the house. They followed but Conan stopped shortly behind them as his ears detected a noise. He focused his hearing, honing toward the location of the noise. "Conan-kun, Conan-kun." It was his name, he turned his head where he felt a pair of eyes watching him. It had come from behind the house yet all he saw were trees and bushes.

"Conan-kun, is everything all right?" Conan snapped his head back up to find Ran peering down at him in concern.

Conan shook his head. "No, everything is all right Ran-neechan. I just thought I heard something…" Ran smiled sadly at him.

"I think we all want to hear something Conan-kun." Ran said softly, and Conan knew she was referring about Kazuha as well as Kudo Shinichi. Conan nodded and continued walking until he heard his name again. He quietly slipped away as they entered the doorway, he quietly ran around the side of the house making sure he was not visible in any passing windows. He is sure someone was calling his name or at least watching him. Once he reached the bushes, he began inspecting them. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance, he's going to have to crawl through, isn't he? He sighed and ventured into the green bushes. Please hope his clothes does not get too dirty, he really did not want to explain this to Ran. He broke through the other side of the bushes, he cleaned his glasses with his shirt.

"Conan-kun." He heard his name, this time it was much clearer and louder. Female, it is a girl who is calling his name, and based off the pitch, he determined it is a child. Weird, considering that he knew zero to no children in Osaka. The unknown girl called his name again, Conan inspected the area, there was another set of bushes. Conan gave the bushed an annoyed look. He made his way past the second fortress of bushes to find a little girl on the other side staring at him. The little girl is sitting down swamped by an orange blouse and a black skirt, clothes much too big for her; she had black hair and her face and skin are smeared with dirt. He stomach rumbled, and she flushed. He stared at her, confused.

Kazuha stared at the child before her and flushed. What was she thinking calling over Conan? How is he going to understand her situation? She has been going back and forth between her house and Heiji's house, hiding in the bushes lacking the courage to present herself to them (she was lucky enough to have enough money in her pockets to buy some food but that will eventually run out), she was afraid of their reactions-she was afraid of them not believing her. She had no idea why she was impelled to call over Conan, once she saw him all she thought was that maybe since he is such a bright child, he can see her easier or understand her easier. It was a child to child understanding, but now she is dreading her own despair, she is seventeen and Conan is _seven_, how would there even be a level of understanding? Sure, Conan is a smart child for his age but is overall innocent.

Kazuha blinked at the child in front of her holding out an uneaten granola bar. Kazuha slowly grabbed it muttering a 'thanks' as she opened the wrapper, jeez she was starving. "Um, who are you? And how do you know my name?" Kazuha looked up at Conan who questioned her, his gaze softly piercing through her, inspecting her for the answers he wished to receive.

"Oh, um," Kazuha played with the wrapper in her fingers nervously as she stared in those blue eyes full of confusion and interest. Birds chirped in the background. "This is going to sound really crazy Conan-kun, but you have to believe me." She said desperately, she will have no idea what to do if he does not believe her.

Conan smiled at her. "Hmph, I've seen plenty of crazy stuff." Kazuha blinked at the surprisingly mature tone in his voice, she knew the boy is mature for his age yet for some reason he sounded a bit older. As if he was an adult tending to a child, shouldn't it be the other way around?

"I'm, I'm Kazuha. Toyama Kazuha." She managed to say. The world turned silent as she watched Conan's face; he stared at her in complete disbelief and complete shock. Oh god, she knew she shouldn't have told him, of course, he would not believe her.

"Are you really Kazuha?" Conan asked softly. A hint of distress shone in his blue eyes as he stared at her while leaning forward slightly to get a good look at her.

She nodded. She is kind of surprised by the reaction of Conan, she was not sure if this is to be a good thing or not. "Yes, I am. I know its crazy, it sounds completely insane for a seventeen-year-old to turn into a seven-year-old, but it's really true." Oh, please believe her, please believe her.

Conan shook his head slowly. "No, it's not crazy, well it is but no, it's not." Kazuha blinked at him. Does he believe her? It seems like he does but she was not expecting that answer. "How, how did you manage to de-age?" He questioned and Kazuha paused at the quiet sigh and the tone of, experience?

Kazuha relayed her story, shuddering at the horror of turning into a child and the memory of her finalized death. Conan's gaze remained on her throughout the entire story, rage flashed in his eyes at the description of the blond man. When she finished, Conan sighed and leaned back against his hands closing his eyes briefly. "Yeah, I believe you're Kazuha-chan," Conan sighed. Kazuha's heart leaped for a moment at the sentence, she was so glad, yet she was concerned by Conan's reaction to her story. He seemed like he knows something. "This, it is so unfortunate that this happened to you, you do not need to be involved in this."

Kazuha tilted her head slightly at this. She gripped the wrapper (she finished the granola bar a while ago) as she questioned what he meant. Conan glanced over at her with an annoyed facial expression, but she can tell he is not annoyed at her but at something else. "I know the men you described, well except for the dead man. They are extremely dangerous men, and you are not the first victim of the drug you took Kazuha-chan." Kazuha's eyes widened at this.

"W-what do you mean?"

"These men belong to an organization, a dangerous and highly secretive one. They developed the drug they forced you to take, and many people died from this drug yet there are side effects."

"The side effect being my shrinking, correct?" She asked, knowing very well that was the answer. She felt a little sick to her stomach at hearing this conversation.

"Correct, and you are not the first person to shrink either…"

Kazuha gave Conan a questioning gaze. She was not the first person to shrink? Then who…? "Who else was shrunken by this drug?" She dared to ask, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

Conan stuck his right hand as if for a handshake. Kazuha stared at his hand unsure if she should shake it. Slowly, she reached her arm outward and grasped his hand. "Kudo Shinichi. I'm the first victim of this drug, known as APTX 4869, and this first to turn into this cursed form." Kazuha stared at Conan in disbelief. Edogawa Conan is Kudo Shinichi? That was not possible, but then again as she thought about it, Conan did seem a little too bright for his age. She blinked several times, all the times she saw Conan, Conan seemed truly just like a little kid not a seventeen-year-old.

"You're Kudo-kun? Is that really true?" She could not stop the question from leaving her lips.

Conan raised an eyebrow. "And are you truly Kazuha-chan?" Kazuha paused, understanding his point and she nodded. Conan sighed. "Yeah, I am Kudo Shinichi. I've been stuck like this unable to change back."

"But I've seen you before, as a teen several times. What do you mean unable to turn back?" She blurted out remembering all the times she has seen and met Kudo, she suddenly remembered seeing Shinichi and Conan in the same room before. She unintentionally voiced that last thought out loud.

"Who you saw was me Kudo Shinichi, but not Conan. I had someone else dress as Conan for me. And I cannot permanently change back to my true self, each time you saw me I had temporarily transformed into a teen, but they don't last, and I inevitably turn into a child again."

"Then why don't you continue turning back into yourself?" She curiously asked.

Conan sighed once more. "I wish but I cannot. One, it is too much of a hassle to continue transforming like that repeatedly, you know the pain. It is easier to remain in this child form. Secondly, every time I transform back into a child or into an adult, my chances of survival decreases, and I become more immune to the temporary antidotes. Third, there are no permanent antidotes so far, so I am, well we, now, are stuck like this." Kazuha stared at him with despair, her stomach even after eating the granola bar felt empty. Does this mean she may never return to normal?

Conan looked at her and smiled softly at her knowing exactly the thoughts occupying her mind. "Don't worry though, I have someone working on an antidote for us."

Lips curled into a smile of relief. "So, what should I do in the meantime?"

* * *

Note: I realized I forgot to put the disclaimer. I do not own Detective Conan

I hope the rewrite is somewhat better. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 2

The world seemed to brighten yet dim at the same time as those words echoed in Conan's ears. What to do in the meantime? That certainly is the golden question. Well first things first, they must decide on a name, then determine an address for her to live, file a background, enroll her in school, buy her some clothes, ectara, ectara. Well, where would she live? Conan glanced at Kazuha who was patiently waiting for an answer, Conan knew the stubborn girl would want to remain in Osaka but who would she with? Since they do not know anyone who knew of their situation in Osaka, save for Hattori of course, but he wanted to push off telling Hattori about this. If he knew anything about his dark-skinned friend is that he is hot-tempered and would completely blow over is he knew and he would never hear the end of it. Conan internally sighed, Hattori would no doubt blame for dragging Kazuha into this war. Hattori then would insist to have a larger role in this war but Conan will not have it. He already told Hattori enough information to get him killed but he did not want to increase those chances. With her parents, it will get the police involved knowing her father, and Conan is not about the risk that. Since Hattori and her parents are not an option, then Tokyo it is; he doubts the old man will allow another child to live with them at the agency. There is not much room there either and he doubts her parents will be willing to pay the amount of care given by his own parents. She could possibly live Hakase, there is plenty of room there and Haibara could keep a close eye on her. If not Hakase, then possibly with Subaru? Subaru probably wouldn't mind.

"Well, we have to pick an alias for you and determine where you should live." Conan finally answered. Kazuha nodded in understanding.

"Okay, how about I live here in Osaka?" She suggested. She mentioned earlier to Conan in her story that after she had been shrunken she lacked the courage to tell anyone, but with Conan's help, they probably can convince her parents and Heiji. Then they could possibly help her.

Conan shook his head, Kazuha gave him a questioning look. "Those are risks that I do not want to undertake." He said simply.

"What do you mean?" Conan sighed.

"These are dangerous people Kazuha, you have no idea how dangerous they are. They will not hesitate to kill your loved ones and the more people who know the more you are placing them at risk of being killed. It is one of the reasons why I didn't tell Ran and it is the reason why I do not want you telling your parents or Hattori. Also, it will be more difficult to keep track of you if you are here in Osaka." Conan briefly explained excluding the fact that Hattori is already aware of the organization's existence.

"I kind of understand but I kind of don't." Kazuha started as she squeezed her knees gently. "I mean my dad is a police officer so as Heiji's dad. They can help us in this situation. I also understand not wanting to tell them because of the chances of them getting killed but I trust them and they know they can help." Kazuha stared intently at Conan who stared back with sad and exhausted eyes. It startled her a bit, she had never seen such an expression in a pair of eyes before. She didn't like it.

Conan sighed again. "I know, however, few people are aware of this organization's existence, and this organization will kill anybody who is aware of their existence despite if they are involved or not. As well, I do not trust the police getting involved because I know as I saw it happen that they have no problem infiltrating the police. I almost got killed because of that…" Kazuha stared at him wide-eyed in horror, these people were willing to infiltrate the police, then how can they stop them? And Conan was almost killed too, then how would she not be put at risk either? Conan watched her reaction. "That is why I am investigating by myself though I do have some help…"

"Who is helping you…?" She questioned, curious if it was anyone Conan is personally attached to.

Conan leaned his chin on his palm, his elbow propped up by his knee. "Well, I went to the Mouri agency thinking that I could discreetly investigate, being as it is consistently bringing me to cases and police knowledge. I will admit, it has been strangely helpful although this organization or as I dubbed them, the B.O, is difficult to trace. Surprisingly it also helped me get in contact with both the CIA and the FBI who are also involved in solving this case. And just to let you know, they are here without government permission so please keep that a secret." Kazuha nodded, surprised at hearing of FBI and CIA involvement. She remembered Ran telling her once that one of her teachers was found to be an FBI agent but is supposedly here for vacation… "Also," Kazuha focused on Conan as he spoke again, "I have Hakase helping me. He was the first person to learn who I am, given that I ran into him first and I had just shrunk into a child. But he helps me by building all these gadgets to solve cases and defend myself."

Kazuha remembered Hakase, a jolly good man. She enjoyed his company the little time they shared, and she knew he is a good man too by Ran's accounts. If she remembered correctly, Hakase is Kudo's neighbor ever since he was a child and that Kudo had always spent a great deal of time with him.

"And I did say I have someone working on an antidote, so her as well. Out of all those people I have mentioned, only Hakase and the scientist know who I am." Conan added.

"Scientist?" Kazuha questioned as she tilted her head to the side. She didn't even bother trying to think of who he meant, she had little clue of the people Kudo knew.

Conan smirked. "Yeah. You might remember her, Haibara."

Kazuha blinked. "Eh?" She remembered the little girl with strawberry hair who was surprisingly mature for her age and a bit distant. She honestly never thought she was more than just a mature and kind of smart kid (though she didn't have a lot of interactions with her either), but to research an antidote? Just who is she? And she asked just that to Conan; this was all becoming a shock to her. Was it possible that Haibara was also shrunk? Then who else was shrunk?

Conan stared at her and softened his gaze. "She's a scientist who, yes, also shrunk due to the same drug you took. She's actually about our age. I'll let her tell you her story when we reach Tokyo, but no worries, we are the only people, well who we know of, are shrunken."

Kazuha nodded slowly but suddenly looked up to Conan. "Wait, so I am going back to Tokyo with you?" She asked unsure about how she felt about doing so.

Conan simply nodded sensing her distress. "Yes, that would be the best course of action. Unfortunately, you will not be able to live with me at the agency, but you might be able to live with Hakase. If not, you'll live next door to Hakase, my house with Okiya Subaru." He explained.

Kazuha tilted her head to the other side now. "Okiya Subaru?" She questioned. She felt like she might have heard that name before, probably from Ran.

Conan smiled. "An ally." He answered. "But when you come back with me, you're going to need an alias. Have any names in mind?" He asked as he pulled out his phone and dialed Haibara's number.

Kazuha blinked at him before tapping her chin with her finger thinking. She never really thought about it, well she honestly thought she will end up revealing herself to her parents and Heiji and see what would happen. What name could she use? Based on the length of time she knew Conan, she might have to use the name for a long time. She heaved a quiet sigh at the thought of that but shook it off, no need to get depressed now. She started thinking of names. Possibly Watabe Amaterasu? No, she didn't like that, sounds too old. She thought of some famous local or some famous individuals; there were two famous bakers called Nishiwashi and Mariko. Maybe Nishiwashi Mariko? She rolled the name over her tongue and decided against it, disliking how it sounded. She continued to think, what else? She widened her eyes at the thought of a famous Aikido artist named Nakamoto Jin and of a famous actress Satou Kamiko. Sho could use the name Nakamoto Kamiko, she liked the ring of that. "Nakamoto Kamiko! I choose that name for my alias." She suddenly exclaimed not realizing Conan had his phone pressed up to his ear. Conan glanced at her and nodded in approval.

"She's gone with the alias of Nakamoto Kamiko," Conan said through the phone and Kazuha wondered who he is talking to, but then Conan placed it on speakerphone. "Yeah, do you think it's possible for you and Hakasa to take her in?"

Haibara mulled over it over the line. "Its possible we can do that, however, it might be suspicious if Hakase takes in another child."

Conan stared at a tree, deep in thought. "Alright, I'll contact Subaru-san and see if he's willing to take her in, and in that way, it will seem she will have just moved into the neighborhood. Tell Hakasa to start working on her paperwork. Though we need a story for her and the disappearance of Toyama. We can't use the same excuse as me. As well, I'm going to need an excuse to return to Tokyo as soon as possible." Kazuha listened in and wondered as well. If she had to keep this a secret from her family and Heiji, how would she explain her sudden disappearance and stop the search party? She honestly had no idea.

Haibara rested her chin on her palm as she thought. Having another teen turned kid was troublesome especially if they are as innocent as Kazuha. Kudo is a mystery fanatic, so it was easy to label him as off on some case, no one was close enough to her to care about her. Yet Kazuha was surrounded by people who truly cared about her and she had no dangerous habits to explain her mysterious disappearance. She glanced at a magazine sitting on the coffee table, it featured a sexy couple clinging to each other. She smirked, it may be a stretch considering Kazuha's character but with the right angle, enough stupidity and acting they might be able to it off. "Alright Kudo, I have your story for Toyama-chan's disappearance. Can you hear me Toyama-chan?"

Kazuha nodded. "Yes, I can hear you."

"Good. So, to explain your disappearance, simply say that it was a man's fault."

Kazuha narrowed her eyes in confusion. "A man's fault?" She questioned unsure what Haibara was hinting at.

"Yes, a man's fault. You fell in love with a slightly older man, however, it might be best to explain that you have been secretly dating this man for a while to deter some of the suspicions. You met him at the book signing and, on a whim, go away with him. Overseas might make a better cover story though."

Conan glanced at the phone with an annoyed expression. "Hey, hey, Haibara. Do you really think anyone is going to believe that?"

"People do stupid things for love Kudo-kun." Haibara shot back dully, and Conan stayed silent with an annoyed expression. "Does that work for you Toyama-chan?"

Kazuha blinked at the question trying to register at the back story. "I, I don't know if I can explain that or well if anybody would believe me. That honestly doesn't sound like anything I would do."

Haibara raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a better story?" Kazuha remained silent, and Haibara knew her story will be the one they will go with. "Alright, when you call your parents, go with that story although do not mention your boyfriend's name. Your dad is a cop and he would immediately conduct a search. We will postpone from calling your parents until you reach here which will give Hakasa and I some time to forge some documents and your exit out of the country, okay?"

No words could exit her mouth, her throat seemed twisted. She did not want to go through this, all she wanted to was to go back to her old teenaged self. It all seemed unreal.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

Hoped y'all enjoyed.


	4. Chapter 3

Conan leaned back against the bark of the tree still holding the phone. It was starting to get late, he had to get back to the house soon. Conan glanced at Kazuha who sat there in her oversized clothing; he gently pushed his bag toward her. Kazuha gave him a questioning glance. "I have a spare change of clothes in there, they should fit you." Kazuha's mouth widened in an "O" as she understood what he meant. She grabbed the slightly worn dull yellow bag and walked behind another tree for some privacy. "I need a distraction for Hattori," he told Haibara hoping she will help him come up with something to avoid the western detective's suspicion.

"Not sure if anything will help. That idiot is as sharp as you especially if it concerns his loved ones." Haibara answered back. She had one idea, but it was also risky. "I doubt you told the detective everything about _them_, you can tell him you got a possible lead on _them_. It wouldn't particularly be a lie either." She suggested. She actually didn't like the idea but if it worked…

Conan stared forward with a serious expression settled on his face. That might actually work and will give him an actual excuse to head back to Tokyo. He knew that it might put a damper on their relationship, given Hattori's temper, however, Hattori will eventually understand the importance of his actions. He sighed. "Thanks, Haibara. See you soon." He ended the line before dialing another number. Kazuha stepped out from behind the tree fully dressed in the kiddy clothes with his bag in her left hand and her clothes in her right hand and arm. "You can put the clothes in the bag." He told her as the line rang. Kazuha nodded and reluctantly proceeded to stuff her clothing in the bag neatly. She felt bad since her clothes were covered in dried blood and dirt and she hadn't taken a shower since forever.

"Hello?" A voice answered on the line.

"Ah, Subaru-san. It's me." Conan replied with an unusual chirpiness. Kazuha looked over at him with curiosity. How could he change his behavior just like that?

Subaru leaned against the desk in the library holding a glass of wine in his left hand curious about the call. Conan only ever called him if he needed him. "Ah, Conan-kun, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Conan laughed nervously scratching his cheek with his right index finger. "I actually have a favor to ask of you." This piqued up his curiosity. Well, he was correct about calling for a favour.

"Oh?"

"I need you to take care of a little girl, about my age."

"A girl?" What an unusual favour for the boy to ask him to do.

"Ah yes," Conan nervously started before his voice suddenly turned more serious, it startled Kazuha just a bit. She entertained the idea of Conan being a bit bipolar. "You see, she was attacked by Gin and I want to keep her safe and close. It might be suspicious if Hakase took in another child, so I was wondering if you can…?"

_Oh, so she's the same as you and Shiho then_. "Alright, I'll take care of her." He was not so sure about him taking care of an actual child but a seventeen-year-old, he's sure he can manage. And besides, she's now involved with them.

"You would?" Conan questioned with a surprised tone. He was actually not so sure if Subaru was willing enough to do it. Kazuha glanced at him with curious eyes; she had finished placing her clothes into the bag and was waiting patiently for Conan to finish.

"Yes, I'll gladly do it. She can act as my niece that I have to take care of due to sudden issues with my 'sister.'"

"Thank you, Subaru-san. I really appreciate it. Her alias is Nakamoto Kamiko, and we'll be in Tokyo later today." He ended the line, glad the man said okay. He stood up grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulders. Kazuha quickly stood up too. "Alright, I'm going to head back to Hattori's place and provide them with an explanation as to why I have to leave. You head over to the train station and I'll meet you there." Kazuha slowly nodded.

"Okay. Thank you Conan-kun." She said softly as she gazed at the forest floor with sad eyes. She looked up into brilliant blue eyes as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it will be alright. I promise. I will do everything I can to make everything go back to normal again." He made another promise, and Kazuha's eyes misted over with tears as she suddenly hugged the boy who ignored any gross smell she was emitting. Conan's eyes widened before softly gazing at her.

"Thank you Kudo-kun."

Conan stood at the doorway of the Hattori household with half-lidded eyes unsure if he really wanted to face the situation. He sighed before entering the house, he walked silently to the living room where Hattori, his parents, Kazuha's parents, Kogorou, and Ran were sitting. Ran looked toward the entrance then stood up. "Conan-kun, where have you been?" She called out to the child warranting everyone else's stares, Conan chuckled nervously scratching at the back of his head.

"I was looking around the neighborhood," He innocently replied with worry in his eyes. Everybody's gazes softened as they interpreted the child's antics. Ran grabbed his hand and gently guided him to where she was sitting.

"I know you're worried Conan-kun, we all are, but you can't just run off like that." Ran softly scolded him, but he can hear how worried she was. Conan just innocently nodded as he sat down next to Ran. He glanced at Hattori whose gaze seemed distant and he mentally sighed. He really didn't want to make a scene about him having to leave, but time is ticking and they really do not have a lot of time. He glanced at everyone around him. He guessed the precinct forced the two officers to take some time off, they both had dark circles around his eyes, it was obvious neither of them slept. He glanced at Kazuha's mom and Hattori's mom, they hadn't slept either. Dread kicked into him. He felt guilty for manipulating them when they only wanted their daughter and friend back. While he felt guilty about manipulating Ran (she really was the only one who cared about his disappearance; not even his own parents noticed until a month or two afterward which stung a little) and of the FBI when he faked Akai's death, it was so much more different. Inevitable tears did come but they carried on, Ran continued to enjoy her life despite knowing that her childhood friend may never come back and the FBI still had a job to do. But they had some closure, they did not. And the closure they're going to receive will not be a welcomed one; but no matter what excuse he and Kazuha fabricated, it is still going to cause a rocky relationship between her and her family and friends. He hated that this was occurring.

He tugged on Ran's sleeve breaking her away from the current discussion. She peered down at him in concern and confusion. "What is it Conan-kun?" She softly asked and quietly enough to not disturb anybody else.

Conan stared up at her with the most apologetic expression he could muster. He needed to get back to Tokyo. He had to do this. "Ran-neechan, I need to go back to Tokyo." He softly replied back.

Ran gave him a dubious stare as she frowned in obvious confusion. "But why?" They had just gotten to Osaka, they couldn't just leave when they hadn't found Kazuha yet. And she didn't want her little ward to leave for Tokyo so late.

"While I was searching around the neighborhood," Conan began explaining. "I got a call from Hakase and apparently Haibara is sick. And she really wants me to be there with her."

Ran's eyes softened as she gazed upon her worried little brother. She knew how much Conan cared about Haibara. She remembered the last time Haibara had gotten sick, Conan went out of his way to get her soup, anything she needed, and he stayed at Hakase's the entire week to personally look after her. It honestly surprised her to see how much effort Conan put in to care for her, he was so worried. "But she has Agasa-Hakase to take care of her right now." She told him. It was horrible timing for Haibara to get sick but she trusted the older man to take care of the little girl, Conan didn't need to go out of his way to tend to her. Not now, not when Kazuha is missing. But Conan continued to stare at her with his hurt puppy dog eyes, she can see the worry brimming in those blue eyes. She needed to stop looking at his expression or else she'll falter and give in.

"But she personally wants me to be there next to her." Conan tried again keeping his puppy dog eyes. "I know Kazuha-neechan is missing, and I really want to find her. So while I'm taking care of Haibara, the detective boys and I can help try to find her. We're really good at solving mysteries together." Conan suggested while ignoring the fact it was typically him who ends up solving those mysteries. Though he knew that if the kids caught wind of Kazuha's disappearance, they would go out of their way to try to find her even if they deduce unrealistic conclusions. They are only kids after all. He continued to gaze up at Ran with his worried eyes and saw her falter. He really did feel guilty for tricking Ran like this.

"I really don't want you to go but if it would make Ai-chan feel better…" Ran conceded as her thoughts trickled into a state of worry. She really wanted Conan to be here and especially as a support system for Hattori, those two really got along. Yet she also didn't want Conan to get into any further trouble, he always has a knack for getting into trouble especially with Hattori. Those two go on impulse and never ground each other with reason despite how ironic that sounded. Hattori really needed someone to stop him from doing anything impulsive that could get him into trouble. She glanced at Hattori who stared at the wall with despair. He needed a break. She gently nudged Hattori's arm, catching his attention. "I think we need some fresh air." She told him. Hattori frowned at her and opened his mouth to refuse but was stopped by his mother.

"Go on, de-stress." His mother encouraged them (when she spoke the rest of the room fell silent and all eyes stared at them) because seeing her son in this state truly worried her. Hattori wanted to refuse and continue the discussion with them but seeing the look on his mother's face he silently stood up. And the three left the house with a depressing air around them. Hattori stuffed his hands into his pockets and Ran glanced at him with pity in her eyes. He didn't want her pity but he guessed she kind of understood his pain. Though at least she knew Kudo is alive, he didn't even know if Kazuha is alive or not.

"Ah, where to go?" He muttered. He needed to walk around, he'll probably just drive himself crazy if he just stood or paced around in his yard. He and the police already searched the area Kazuha went to and the possible route she took home several times. Other than some corpse and some blood, they found nothing. The crime scene which was possible that Kazuha might have witnessed lead nothing back to her except for her blood (which he hated that it ended up being hers). But the lead ended there. Kazuha was nowhere to be found and the crime scene led to nothing. Just some John Doe and no possible suspects. It worried him, his father, and Kazuha's father that it was possible that whoever killed John Doe took her; but just what did they do with her. It frustrated him so much because it has been a week, and people don't hold hostages this long. If Kazuha did escape, then she should've been here or at least reported. The idea of just not knowing frustrated him and filled him with absolute dread.

"The train station." Hattori looked over to Conan who suddenly spoke. He narrowed his eyes at him.

"The train station?" He questioned. Why the hell did he want to go to the train station? He doubted Kazuha would willingly leave Osaka, if she was in any trouble, he would be the first person she'd come to. And he doubted the culprit would try to publicly force her out of Osaka; it would be difficult to carry an unconscious woman without anybody noticing especially considering how crowded the train stations are. Even if Kazuha was awake, she would without a doubt cause a scene and the police would, of course, have been notified.

"It seems like Ai-chan is sick and Conan wants to go back to Tokyo and take care of her." Ran shyly explained scratching her cheek in the same habit as Shinichi.

"Hah?" He questioned in annoyance as he leaned down toward the chibi detective. "Doesn't she have the professor to take care of her?" Why the hell is Kudo trying to leave?

Conan pouted, and like hell would he believe that act. "Yeah, but Haibara really wants me to be there." Hattori could only give Conan an incredulous stare. Yeah, there was no way in hell that Kudo is going to stop investigating the disappearance of Kazuha to take care of some little girl who could take care of herself.

"But what about Kazuha?" He couldn't stop himself from asking (and he also couldn't stop his voice getting louder either).

"The detective boys and I will help investigate her disappearance." The boy chirped with some enthusiasm but still kept somber. Hattori only stared. He did not believe that for one minute. He saw how Kudo interacted with those kids, he was always trying to get them out of trouble, out of cases. Kudo would never stop that. No, he is not having it. He grabbed Conan by the collar and walked several feet away from Ran who protested at the sudden action. He only waved her off (she frowned at the casual dismissal) and he stared at Conan who stared back with an equally serious expression.

"Cut the bullcrap. Why the hell are you leaving?" He snapped quietly at the other detective. They should be out of earshot from Ran but given how loud he could be…

Conan crossed his arms across his chest as he stared dead into his eyes. Hattori failed to be intimidated by the small detective dangling in the air. "I'm sorry for Kazuha but I got notice of a possible lead on _them_." Hattori felt his eyes go wide for a split second before he narrowed them again.

"And you're just gonna drop Kazuha for a possible lead?" There is no way in hell is he going to let him. But that expression that masked Kudo's face told him that yes, that is exactly what Kudo planned to do. "I can't believe you." He angrily muttered.

"I'm sorry Hattori but this is a possible lead and I can't just ignore it. You know how much this means to me."

"And you know how much Kazuha means to me!" He immediately snapped back. Yet, Kudo only stared back, his expression did not change.

"I'm sorry Hattori. I promise that whenever this pans out, I'll search for Kazuha." At that point, Hattori just dropped Conan. Conan landed on the concrete with a thud with a grunt.

"Unbelievable," He angrily muttered. "Go on, get out of here." He angrily dismissed Conan who just stared wide-eyed at him. Hattori simply pivoted and grabbed Ran by the arm pulling her in the other direction. "The brat can get himself to the train station." He said ignoring her protests. Conan watched as their figures faded away and heaved a depressing sigh. He made his way to the train station.


End file.
